JP2006208821A - Developing device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developing device which is easily made into a state in which image formation is possible when a connection port sealing member which seals a connection port for connecting a developer housing part and a developer carrier housing part is forgotten to be removed, a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus having the same. <P>SOLUTION: The developing device is provided with an extraction forgetfulness prevention member 74Y as a prevention member of sealing member removal forgetfulness which makes a support plate 80 as a developing part cap member impossible to be closed even when it is attempted to be closed at a state that a seal member 73Y as a connection port sealing member is not removed when the process cartridge 6Y is attached to a printer 100 and the seal member 73Y can be extracted at a state that the process cartridge 6Y is attached to the printer 100. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a developing device used for a copying machine, a fax machine, a printer, and the like, and a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus using the developing device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a developing device that has a developer carrier housing portion and a developer housing portion and is detachable from the image forming apparatus main body, the developer carrier housing portion partially exposes the developer carrier. Has an opening. When the communication port that communicates between the developer carrier accommodating portion and the developer accommodating portion is in an open state, the developer accommodating portion and the developer carrier accommodating portion are not connected to the image forming apparatus main body. The developer and air can be moved back and forth. As a result, the developer moves through the communication port to the developer carrier accommodating portion and is scattered from the opening, or the developer may deteriorate due to contact with the outside air through the opening and the communication port. there were. In order to prevent such scattering and deterioration of the developer, a configuration in which a communication port sealing member that seals the communication port between the developer carrier accommodating portion and the developer accommodating portion is provided is known. ing. As the communication port sealing member, a seal member on the film is used. By removing and removing the seal member, the developer carrier housing portion and the developer housing portion communicate with each other, and the developer is contained in the developer carrier. It will be possible to supply to the part.

  By providing the seal member, it was possible to prevent scattering and deterioration of the developer when not attached to the image forming apparatus, but there was a problem of forgetting to pull out the seal member when attached to the image forming apparatus. It was. If the seal member is forgotten to be pulled out and attached to the image forming apparatus and a printing operation is performed, the developer carrier is not supplied to the developer carrier accommodating portion, so image formation cannot be performed, and an abnormal image such as a blank sheet Will occur.

The following structure has been proposed as a structure for preventing such a seal member from being forgotten to be pulled out.
In Patent Document 1, a plurality of electrodes for detecting that the developing device is mounted on the developing device and the image forming apparatus main body side are provided. The seal member is provided in a state of closing one of the electrodes on the developing device side, and when the developing device is mounted on the image forming apparatus, if the presence of the seal member is detected, the user removes the developing device, and the developing device The seal member is pulled out of the structure.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 has a configuration in which the developing device cannot be mounted in a state where the seal member is not pulled out by being provided in a state where the seal member closes the hole of the developing device that engages the protruding portion on the image forming apparatus side. It is.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-255806 Japanese Patent No. 3450569

However, the conventional structure for preventing forgetting to pull out the seal member is troublesome because it takes time to pull out the seal member and make it possible to form an image after it becomes clear that forget to pull out the seal member. There was a problem.
Specifically, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when the developing device is mounted and forgetting to pull out the seal member is detected, the developing device is once removed from the image forming apparatus main body, the seal member is pulled out, Again, it takes time to mount the image forming apparatus.
Further, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 2, since the engaging portion does not engage when the seal member is forgotten to be pulled out, the user tries to attach the developing device while holding the developing device and forgets to pull out the seal member. Therefore, it is necessary to realize that the engagement is not engaged. If the user notices that he / she has forgotten to pull out the seal member, the developing device is placed in another place, the seal member is pulled out, and it is time-consuming to attempt to mount the image forming apparatus again.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a purpose thereof is a developing device that can easily form an image when the communication port sealing member is forgotten to be removed, And a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus including the same.

To achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is detachable from the developing device accommodation position in the image forming apparatus by opening the developing unit lid member of the main body of the image forming apparatus. A developer carrier housing portion for housing the developer carrier, a developer housing portion for housing the developer to be supplied to the developer carrier, and a communication port for communicating the developer carrier housing portion and the developer housing portion. A developing device having a communication port sealing member that seals the communication port in order to prevent the developer from moving to the developer carrier accommodating portion before being mounted on the image forming apparatus main body; When the communication port sealing member is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body and the communication port sealing member is not removed, the development unit lid member is closed. Do not close the developing unit lid member in contact with the member A sealing member removal forgetting prevention member that can be attached to the developing device accommodation position with the communication port sealing member and the sealing member removal forgetting prevention member, and attached to the development device accommodation position. In this state, the communication port sealing member can be removed.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the developing device of the first aspect, the color of the sealing member removal forgetting prevention member and the outer shell of the developing device are different.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the developer carrying member that houses the developer carrying member can be attached to and detached from the developing device containing position in the image forming apparatus by opening the developing unit lid member of the image forming apparatus main body. A body accommodating portion, a developer accommodating portion that accommodates a developer to be supplied to the developer bearing member, a communication port that communicates the developer bearing member accommodating portion and the developer accommodating portion, and the image forming apparatus main body In the developing device having a communication port sealing member for sealing the communication port to prevent the developer from moving to the developer carrier accommodating portion before being mounted on the communication port sealing member When the developing unit lid member is closed when the communication port sealing member is not removed when mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, the developing unit lid member comes into contact with the developing unit lid member. Forgetting to remove the sealing member that prevents the lid member from closing It is characterized in that it has a member.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, at least the latent image carrier and the latent image on the latent image carrier are integrally supported by the developing means, and the process is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body. In the cartridge, the developing device of claim 1, 2 or 3 is used as the developing means.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charging means for charging the surface of the latent carrier, a latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier, and the electrostatic latent image. An image forming apparatus having a developing means for developing a toner image to form a toner image uses the developing apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 as the developing means.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus of the fifth aspect, the developing unit lid member is a positioning member that fixes the developing device at a developing device accommodation position.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the developing unit lid member is an exterior cover.

  In the developing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the developing unit lid member is closed when the communication port sealing member is not removed by the sealing member removal forgetting prevention member even if the developing unit lid member is closed. Since this is not possible, the user can easily realize that the communication port sealing member is not removed. In addition, since the developing device can be mounted at the developing device housing position on the image forming apparatus side with the communication port sealing member, it is not noticed that it cannot be mounted due to forgetting to remove the communication port sealing member. It is possible to save the trouble of trying to install. Further, since the communication port sealing member and the sealing member removal forgetting prevention member can be removed in a state where the developing device is mounted at the developing device accommodation position, the developing device is image-formed to remove the communication port sealing member. It is possible to save the trouble of removing the device from the apparatus or placing it in a place where the work can be performed.

  According to the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, it is possible to easily recognize that the communication port sealing member has been forgotten to be pulled out, and since there is little effort to pull out the communication port sealing member, when the communication port sealing member is forgotten to be removed In addition, there is an excellent effect that an image can be easily formed.

Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, an electrophotographic printer (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer 100) will be described as an example of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied (hereinafter, this embodiment is referred to as “embodiment 1”). The image forming unit will be described as a process cartridge.
First, the basic configuration of the printer 100 will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printer 100. In the drawing, the printer 100 includes four process cartridges 6Y, M, C, and K for generating toner images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black (hereinafter referred to as Y, M, C, and K). . These use Y, M, C, and K toners of different colors as the image forming material, but the other configurations are the same and are replaced when the lifetime is reached. Taking a process cartridge 6Y for generating a Y toner image as an example, as shown in FIG. 2, a photosensitive member 1Y as a drum-shaped image carrier, a drum cleaning device 2Y, a charge eliminating device (not shown), a charging device 4Y, A developing device 5Y and the like are provided. The process cartridge 6Y can be attached to and detached from the main body of the printer 100 so that consumable parts can be replaced at a time.

The charging device 4Y uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y that is rotated clockwise in the drawing by a driving unit (not shown). The uniformly charged surface of the photoreceptor 1 </ b> Y is exposed and scanned by the laser beam L to carry an electrostatic latent image for Y. The Y electrostatic latent image is developed into a Y toner image by the developing device 5Y using Y toner. The toner image formed on the photoreceptor 1Y is intermediately transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8. The drum cleaning device 2Y removes the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y after the intermediate transfer process.
The static eliminator neutralizes residual charges on the photoreceptor 1Y after cleaning. By this charge removal, the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y is initialized and prepared for the next image formation. In the other process cartridges 6M, C, and K, M, C, and K toner images are similarly formed on the photoreceptors 1M, C, and K, and are intermediately transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8.

In FIG. 1 shown above, an exposure device 7 is disposed below the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K.
The exposure device 7 serving as a latent image forming unit irradiates each of the photoconductors in the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K with a laser beam L emitted based on the image information. By this exposure, electrostatic latent images for Y, M, C, and K are formed on the photoreceptors 1Y, M, C, and K. The exposure device 7 irradiates the photosensitive member through a plurality of optical lenses and mirrors while scanning a laser beam L emitted from a light source with a polygon mirror rotated by a motor.

On the lower side of the exposure apparatus 7 in the figure, paper supply means including a paper storage cassette 26, a paper supply roller 27 incorporated therein, a registration roller pair 28, and the like are disposed.
The paper storage cassette 26 stores a plurality of transfer papers P as recording bodies, and a paper feed roller 27 is in contact with each uppermost transfer paper P. When the paper feeding roller 27 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing by a driving means (not shown), the uppermost transfer paper P is fed toward the rollers of the registration roller pair 28.
The registration roller pair 28 rotationally drives both rollers to sandwich the transfer paper P, but temporarily stops rotating immediately after sandwiching. Then, the transfer paper P is sent out toward a later-described secondary transfer nip at an appropriate timing. In the sheet feeding unit having such a configuration, a conveying unit is configured by a combination of the sheet feeding roller 27 and the registration roller pair 28 corresponding to the timing roller. This transport means transports the transfer paper P from a paper storage cassette 26 serving as a storage means to a secondary transfer nip described later.

Above the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, an intermediate transfer unit 15 that moves the intermediate transfer belt 8 that is an intermediate transfer member endlessly while stretching is disposed. In addition to the intermediate transfer belt 8, the intermediate transfer unit 15 includes four primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, M, C, and K, a cleaning device 10, and the like. A secondary transfer backup roller 12, a cleaning backup roller 13, a tension roller 14 and the like are also provided.
The intermediate transfer belt 8 is endlessly moved in the counterclockwise direction in the figure by the rotational drive of at least one of the rollers while being stretched around these three rollers. The primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, M, C, and K sandwich the intermediate transfer belt 8 that is moved endlessly in this manner from the photoreceptors 1Y, M, C, and K to form primary transfer nips. Yes. In these methods, a transfer bias having a polarity opposite to that of toner (for example, plus) is applied to the back surface (loop inner peripheral surface) of the intermediate transfer belt 8.
All of the rollers except the primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, M, C, and K are electrically grounded. The intermediate transfer belt 8 sequentially passes through the primary transfer nips for Y, M, C, and K along with its endless movement, and Y, M, and C on the photoreceptors 1Y, M, C, and K , K toner images are superimposed and primarily transferred. As a result, a four-color superimposed toner image (hereinafter referred to as a four-color toner image) is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8.

  The secondary transfer backup roller 12 sandwiches the intermediate transfer belt 8 between the secondary transfer roller 19 and forms a secondary transfer nip. The four-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is transferred to the transfer paper P at the secondary transfer nip. Untransferred toner that has not been transferred onto the transfer paper P adheres to the intermediate transfer belt 8 after passing through the secondary transfer nip. This is cleaned by the cleaning device 10.

  At the secondary transfer nip, the transfer paper P is sandwiched between the intermediate transfer belt 8 and the secondary transfer roller 19 whose surfaces move in the forward direction, and is conveyed in the opposite direction to the registration roller pair 28 side. When the transfer paper P sent out from the secondary transfer nip passes between the rollers of the fixing device 20, the four-color toner image transferred to the surface is fixed by heat and pressure. Thereafter, the transfer paper P is discharged out of the apparatus through a pair of paper discharge rollers 29. A stack unit 30 is formed on the upper surface of the printer main body, and the transfer paper P discharged to the outside by the discharge roller pair 29 is sequentially stacked on the stack unit 30.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the main body of the printer 100 according to the present embodiment. The printer 100 includes a side exterior cover 90 as an exterior cover that can be opened and closed in the direction of the arrow in the figure, a front exterior cover 92 that can be opened forward (rightward in the figure), and an upper exterior cover 93 that can be opened and closed upward. ing. FIG. 4 is a view showing the internal structure of the printer with the side surface cover 90, the front exterior cover 92, the front exterior cover 92, and the upper exterior cover 93 opened.
A support plate 80 as a developing unit lid member is provided inside the printer with the side exterior cover 90 opened. The support plate 80 is a positioning member that supports the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K mounted at the developing device accommodation position of the printer 100 and fixes them in their normal positions.
Further, on the back side of the printer 100, a fixed support plate (not shown) that is paired with the support plate 80 and supports the process cartridge at both ends in the axial direction is provided. A drive system (not shown) is arranged on the fixed support plate on the back side (not shown), and the intermediate transfer unit 15, the toner image forming units 10Y, 10C, 10M, and 10K, and the charging device 4 via the coupling. The rollers of the developing device 5 are driven.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a bottle container 31 is disposed between the intermediate transfer unit 15 and the stack unit 30 located above the intermediate transfer unit 15. The bottle container 31 stores toner bottles 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K as developer containers for storing Y, M, C, and K toners. The toner bottles 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K are installed on the bottle container 31 so as to be placed from above for each toner color. The Y, M, C, and K toners in the toner bottles 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K are appropriately replenished to the developing devices of the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, respectively, by a toner replenishing device that will be described later. The toner bottles 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K and the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K can be attached to and detached from the main body of the printer 100 independently. The toner bottles 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K can be detached from the top of the printer 100 by opening the upper exterior cover 93. The process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K can be pulled out from the front side in the figure by opening the side surface exterior cover 90 and opening the support plate 80.

Below the setting position of the toner bottle 32Y in the main body of the printer 100, a toner replenishing device (not shown) that supplies yellow toner in the toner bottle 32Y to the developing device 5Y is provided on the back side in FIG. The process cartridge 6Y is slid from the front side to the back side in FIG. 1, and the process cartridge 6Y is set in the main body of the printer 100, whereby the front end of the conveying member 43Y that conveys toner to the developing device 5Y and the toner of the developing device 5Y. The replenishment part 58Y engages.
The new toner filled in the toner bottle 32Y is supplied to the toner supply device. The toner stored in the toner replenishing device is replenished to the developing device 5Y when the toner detecting means (not shown) in the developing device 5Y determines that the toner concentration in the developing device 5Y is low. The toner replenished to the developing device 5Y passes through the conveying member 43Y of the toner replenishing device, and is supplied from the opening 45Y of the conveying member 43Y to the toner replenishing port 61Y on the developing device side.

Next, the configuration of the developing device 5Y in the process cartridge 6Y will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the developing device 5Y with the upper cover 70Y removed.
In the developing device 5Y, a developing roller 51Y as a developer carrying member is provided in a developing roller containing portion 57Y as a developer carrying member containing portion. Further, the developing roller 51Y is partially exposed from the opening of the casing that forms the developing roller accommodating portion 57Y, and forms a developing area with the photoreceptor 1Y. Further, a developing doctor 52Y as a developer regulating member for regulating the developer layer thickness is provided on the upstream side of the developing roller 51 in the surface movement direction from the developing region.
Below the developing roller accommodating portion 57Y is a developer accommodating portion that accommodates the developer. By the partition wall 59Y, the first developer accommodating portion 53Y on the developing roller 51Y side and the second developer on the toner supply port 61Y side are provided. It is partitioned off from the accommodating portion 54Y. The first developer accommodating portion 53Y includes a first conveying screw 55Y as a first developer agitating and conveying member, and the second developer accommodating portion 54Y includes a second conveying screw as a second developer agitating and conveying member. 56Y is provided.
A frame member 71Y having a communication port 72Y through which the developer passes is provided between the developing roller housing portion 57Y and the first developer housing portion 53Y.
In the developing device 5Y of Embodiment 1, a two-component developer composed of toner and a carrier is used. However, a one-component developer that does not include a carrier may be used.
The developing device 5Y stores toner and a carrier in advance as developers, and the toner consumed by the development is supplied with toner from the toner bottle 32Y as a toner container shown in FIG. Housed inside.

Next, the operation of the developing device 5Y will be described.
The toner replenished from the toner bottle 32Y to the developing device 5Y is replenished into the developing device 5Y from the toner replenishing port 61Y indicated by the broken line in FIG. The toner replenished in the second developer accommodating portion 54Y of the developing device 5Y is agitated with the carrier by the second transport screw 56Y. The developer composed of toner and carrier in the second developer accommodating portion 54Y is conveyed in the direction of arrow B in the drawing while being agitated by the second conveying screw 56Y. The developer conveyed to the second conveying screw 56Y and reaching the end of the second developer accommodating portion 54Y passes through the opening at the end of the partition wall 59Y and moves to the first developer accommodating portion 53Y. The developer in the first developer accommodating portion 53Y is conveyed in the direction of arrow A in the drawing while being agitated by the first conveying screw 55Y. When the developer reaches the end of the first developer accommodating portion 53Y, the end of the partition wall 59Y is It moves through the opening to the second developer accommodating portion 54Y. As described above, the developer is circulated in the developing device 5Y by the first transport screw 55Y and the second transport screw 56Y.

Of the developer stirred and transported by the first transport screw 55Y in the first developer accommodating portion 53Y, the developer attracted to the developing roller 51Y is carried on the developing roller 51Y through the communication port 72.
The carrier in the developer is attracted to the developing roller 51Y by the magnetic force of the magnet roller provided in the developing roller 51, and is carried on the developing roller 51Y. Further, the toner in the developer is agitated and charged with a polarity opposite to that of the carrier, and an electrostatic force acts between the carrier and the toner is carried on the developing roller 51Y together with the carrier. The thickness of the developer carried on the developing roller 51Y is regulated by passing through a gap (doctor gap) between the developing doctor 52Y and the surface of the developing roller 51Y. Then, when the developer whose layer thickness is regulated is transported to the development area facing the photoreceptor 1Y, the developer is brought up on the developing roller 51Y by the magnetic force of the magnet roller.
Here, the developing roller 51Y moves in the same direction at a linear velocity faster than the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y in the developing region. Then, the carrier spiked on the developing roller 51Y supplies the toner adhering to the carrier surface to the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y while rubbing the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y. At this time, a developing bias is applied to the developing roller 51Y from a power source (not shown), whereby a developing electric field is formed in the developing region. Then, between the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 1Y and the developing roller 51Y, an electrostatic force toward the electrostatic latent image side acts on the toner on the developing roller 51Y. As a result, the toner on the developing roller 51Y adheres to the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 1Y. By this adhesion, the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 1Y is developed into a toner image of a corresponding color. In the present embodiment, the developing roller 51Y is connected to the driving device via a clutch, and the rotation of the developing roller 51Y can be temporarily stopped by the clutch.

Next, a sealing member as a communication port sealing member will be described. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the developing device 5Y in the process cartridge 6Y before being attached to the printer 100. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the developing device 5Y in the process cartridge 6Y before being attached to the printer 100. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the developing device 5Y before being attached to the printer 100, the communication port sealing member is sealed so as to seal the communication port 72Y that connects the developing roller storage portion 57Y and the first developer storage portion 53Y. As a sealing member 73Y is mounted. By providing the seal member 73Y, it is possible to prevent the developer from leaking and scattering from the opening of the developing roller accommodating portion 57Y when the process cartridge 6Y is carried alone. Further, since it is blocked from the outside air, it is possible to prevent the developer from being deteriorated due to the developer coming into contact with air.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, since the seal member 73Y has to be pulled out, its end portion protrudes outward from the end portion of the process cartridge 6Y provided with the developing device 5Y as a margin portion. The seal member 73Y can be removed by pulling out the pulling portion in the arrow C direction. An arrow C direction in the drawing is a direction parallel to the developing roller 51Y, and an end of the process cartridge 6Y on the arrow C direction side is a side facing the support plate 80 when the process cartridge 6Y is mounted on the printer 100. Is the end of By pulling out and removing the seal member 73Y in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 7, the developing device 5 is in the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, and the developing roller accommodating portion 57Y from the first developer accommodating portion 53Y through the communication port 72Y. It becomes possible to supply the developer.

Hereinafter, the pull-out forgetting prevention member as the sealing member removal forgetting prevention member will be described.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the process cartridge 6Y. In order to prevent forgetting to pull out the sealing member 73Y, a forgetting to pull out preventing member 74Y as a sealing member removal forgetting preventing member is provided at a portion outside the end of the process cartridge 6Y of the sealing member 73Y which is a communication port sealing member. Provided. Since the outer color of the casing of the process cartridge 6Y is generally black, the color of the forgetting to pull out preventing member 74Y is different from that of the process cartridge 6Y. For example, it is preferable to make the color conspicuous with respect to the black of the process cartridge 6Y, such as red or orange, because further attention can be urged.
In the above description, only the process cartridge 6Y that uses yellow toner has been described. However, the process cartridges 6M, C, and K that use other colors have the same configuration as the process cartridge 6Y except that the toner color is different. is there.
8 is fixed to the seal member 73Y, the pull-out forgetting prevention member 74Y is not limited to that fixed to the sealing member 73Y. FIG. 9 shows another example in which the forgetting to pull out preventing member 74Y is attached to the seal member 73Y. As shown in the figure, a hollow portion 76Y that is a through hole is provided in the forgetting to pull out preventing member 74Y, and the seal member 73Y includes a protruding portion 75Y. The seal member 73Y passes through the hollow portion 76Y and is not fixed, and the protrusion 75Y prevents the forgetting to pull out preventing member 74Y from falling off.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a state where the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K having the seal member 73Y and the forgetting to pull out preventing member 74Y are mounted on the printer 100 main body. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view.
As shown in the drawing, in the printer 100, the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K can be mounted in the developing device accommodation position while the seal member 73Y and the forgetting to pull out preventing member 74Y are provided.
The state shown in the figure is a state in which the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K are not pulled out, and if the support plate 80 is closed in this state, the forgetful pull-out preventing member attached to the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K 74Y, M, C, K and the support plate 80 interfere with each other, and the support plate 80 cannot be closed. In other words, the support plate 80 that is the developing unit lid member cannot be closed.

  By not being able to close the support plate 80, the user can notice that he / she has forgotten to pull out the sealing members 73Y, M, C and K, and reliably prevents the sealing members 73Y, M, C and K from being forgotten. I can do it. The support plate 80 positions the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, and includes a bias terminal applied to each process cartridge and a harness to the terminals.

10 and 11, the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K are in a state where the process cartridges 6Y, M, C, and K including the developing devices 5Y, M, C, and K are mounted on the printer 100. And located on the outer surface of the process cartridge 6Y, M, C, K.
Accordingly, the seal members 73Y, M, C, K as the communication port sealing members and the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, as the sealing member removal forgetting preventing members are mounted in the developing device housing position. K can be removed.
10 is pulled out from the state shown in FIG. 10 and the seal members 73Y, M, C, K are pulled out, the state shown in FIG. 4 is obtained, and the support plate 80 can be closed. Then, the support plate 80 is closed to enable image formation.

  Further, the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, 74M, 74C, 74K are predetermined angles with respect to the axis of the direction in which the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K equipped with the developing devices 5Y, M, C, and K are attached to the printer 100 And more preferably on a plane that intersects substantially vertically. Specifically, in the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, forgetting to pull out the front end surface of the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K that are perpendicular to the axis of the mounting direction is prevented. Members 74Y, M, C, and K are provided. Accordingly, the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, K and the seal members 73Y, M, C, K can be removed from the attaching / detaching direction of the process cartridges 6Y, M, C, K.

Further, the developing rollers 51Y, 51M, 51C, and 51K are substantially parallel to the axis in the direction in which the developing cartridges 5Y, M, C, and K including the developing devices 5Y, M, C, and K are attached to the printer 100. Since the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K are provided substantially parallel to the developing rollers 51Y, M, C, and K, the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K are substantially parallel to the axis in the direction in which the developing rollers 51Y, M, C, and K are attached. If it exists, it becomes easy to pull out the sealing members 73Y, M, C, K in the attaching / detaching direction of the process cartridges 6Y, M, C, K.
In the above-described embodiment, the process cartridges 6Y, M, C, and K including the developing devices 5Y, M, C, and K and the photoreceptors 1Y, M, C, and K are configured to be detachable from the printer 100. Although explained, it is not limited to this. It is sufficient that at least a developing device is provided, and only the developing device may be detachable from the apparatus main body.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, since the forgetting to pull out preventing member 74Y as the sealing member removal forgetting preventing member is provided, the developing unit lid member in a state where the sealing member 73Y as the communication port sealing member is not removed. Even if the support plate 80 is closed, the user cannot easily remove the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K because the support plate 80 cannot be closed by contacting the forgetting to pull out prevention member 74Y. Can do. Furthermore, since the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K can be installed in the developing device accommodation position of the printer 100, which is an image forming apparatus, the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K cannot be mounted due to forgetting to remove them. It is possible to remove the seal members 73Y, M, C, K and the forgetting to pull-out preventing member 74Y, M, C, K without being noticed and without attempting to install them many times. Therefore, it is possible to save the trouble of removing the seal members 73Y, 73M, 73C and 73K from the printer 100 or placing them in a place where the work can be performed. From the above, it is easy to notice that the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K are forgotten to be pulled out, and since there is less effort to pull out the seal members Y, M, C, and K, the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K are removed. When the user forgets to do so, the image can be easily formed.
Further, the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K are colors different from the outer colors of the casings of the process cartridges 6Y, M, C, and K including the developing devices 5Y, M, C, and K, specifically, It has an eye-catching color such as red or orange. Thereby, it is noticed that the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K are not visually removed before attempting to close the support plate 80 without removing the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K. be able to.

[Modification 1]
In the first embodiment, the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K are attached to the process cartridges 6Y, M, C, and K at the outer side of the process cartridges 6Y, M, C, and K of the seal members 73Y, It provided in the position which contacts the end surface of M, C, K. As a result, when the seal member 73 is not removed, the support plate 80 cannot be engaged with the end surfaces of the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K by the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K. It was a configuration that could not be closed.
The support plate 80 is not limited to the developing unit lid member that cannot be closed by the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, 74M, 74C, and 74K. Hereinafter, Modification 1 in which the developing unit lid member that cannot be closed by the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, 74M, 74C, and 74K is a side surface exterior cover 90 as an exterior cover will be described. Since the modified example 1 is common to the embodiment except that the installation positions of the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K are different, the description of the common points is omitted.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the printer 100 according to the first modification. As shown in the figure, the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K are set at positions slightly separated from the process cartridges 6Y, M, C, and K.
Thus, unlike the first embodiment, the support plate 80 can be closed even when the process cartridges 6Y, M, C, and K are mounted on the main body of the printer 100 without removing the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K.
When the side surface cover 90, which is an exterior cover, is to be closed, the side surface cover 90 and the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K interfere with each other so that the side surface cover 90 cannot be closed. Yes. Since the side exterior cover 90 cannot be closed, the user can recognize that he / she has forgotten to pull out the sealing members 73Y, M, C and K, and is sure to forget to pull out the sealing members 73Y, M, C and K. Can be prevented.

  If the waste toner bottle 91 is installed on the side exterior cover 90, the waste toner bottle 91 installed on the side exterior cover 90 interferes with the forgetting to pull out preventing member 74Y, M, C, K. It doesn't matter. Here, the waste toner bottle 91 refers to the waste toner collected by the cleaning devices 2Y, M, C, and K of the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, and 6K, and the waste toner collected by the cleaning device 10 of the intermediate transfer unit 15. And is attached to the side exterior cover 90.

In the first modification, when the seal members 73Y, M, C, and K are forgotten to be pulled out, the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K interfere with the side surface cover 90 as the developing unit lid member, Since the side exterior cover 90 cannot be closed, the user can easily recognize that the seal member 73Y is not removed.
In addition, if the support plate 80 and the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K interfere with each other many times, an assembly error of the support plate 80 may increase. Since the support plate 80 positions the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, if an assembly error increases, the position of the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, C, and K may be affected, and image formation may be affected. There is. On the other hand, even if the side surface cover 90 interferes with the forgetting to pull out preventing members 74Y, M, C, and K many times, and the assembly error increases, the engaging portion that fixes the side surface cover 90 in a closed state, There is no problem as long as it does not affect the electrode that senses that the side exterior cover is closed, and image formation can be performed.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a process cartridge for Y of the printer. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the printer. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the printer with an exterior cover opened. The perspective view which removed the upper cover in the developing device for Y of the printer. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a developing device for Y before being mounted on the printer. The perspective view which removed the upper cover in the developing device for Y before mounting in the printer. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a process cartridge for Y of the printer. FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of a process cartridge having a different shape of the forgetting to pull out preventing member from that in FIG. 8. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view in a state where the printer outer cover is opened before the seal member is removed. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of a developing device accommodation position in FIG. 10. FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of a printer according to Modification 1 with a side surface exterior cover opened.

Explanation of symbols

1Y photoreceptor 2Y drum cleaning device 4Y charging device 5Y developing device 6Y process cartridge 7 exposure device 8 intermediate transfer belt 9Y primary transfer bias roller 10 cleaning device 12 secondary transfer backup roller 13 cleaning backup roller 14 tension roller 15 intermediate transfer unit 19 Secondary transfer roller 20 Fixing device 26 Paper storage cassette 27 Paper feed roller 28 Registration roller pair 29 Paper discharge roller pair 30 Stack part 31 Bottle container 32Y Toner bottle 43Y Conveying member 45Y Opening part 51Y Development roller 52Y Development doctor 53Y First development Agent storage portion 54Y Second developer storage portion 55Y First transport screw 56Y Second transport screw 57Y Development roller storage portion 58Y Toner supply portion 59Y Partition wall 61Y Toner supply port 70Y Upper cover 71Y Frame member 72Y Communication port 73Y Seal member 74Y Pull-out forgetting prevention member 80 Support plate 90 Side exterior cover 91 Waste toner bottle 92 Front exterior cover 93 Upper exterior cover 100 Printer

Claims (7)

By opening the developing unit lid member of the image forming apparatus main body, it can be attached to and detached from the developing device accommodation position in the image forming device.
A developer carrier accommodating portion for accommodating the developer carrier;
A developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be supplied to the developer carrying member;
A communication port for communicating the developer carrying member container and the developer container;
In the developing device having a communication port sealing member for sealing the communication port in order to prevent the developer from moving to the developer carrier accommodating portion before being mounted on the image forming apparatus main body.
When the communication port sealing member is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body and the communication port sealing member is not removed, the development unit lid member is closed. Having a sealing member removal forgetting prevention member that makes it impossible to close the developing unit lid member in contact with the member,
It can be attached to the developing device accommodation position in a state provided with the communication port sealing member and the sealing member removal forgetting prevention member,
The developing device characterized in that the communication port sealing member can be removed in a state of being mounted at the developing device accommodation position. The developing device according to claim 1.
A developing device, wherein the sealing member removal forgetting prevention member and the outer shell of the developing device have different colors. By opening the developing unit lid member of the image forming apparatus main body, it can be attached to and detached from the developing device accommodation position in the image forming device.
A developer carrier accommodating portion for accommodating the developer carrier;
A developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be supplied to the developer carrying member;
A communication port for communicating the developer carrying member container and the developer container;
In the developing device having a communication port sealing member for sealing the communication port in order to prevent the developer from moving to the developer carrier accommodating portion before being mounted on the image forming apparatus main body.
When the communication port sealing member is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body and the communication port sealing member is not removed, the development unit lid member is closed. A developing device comprising a sealing member removal forgetting preventing member that is in contact with the developing unit so that the developing unit lid member cannot be closed. At least in the process cartridge in which the latent image carrier and the latent image on the latent image carrier are integrally supported by the developing unit and configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body.
A process cartridge using the developing device according to claim 1, 2 or 3 as the developing means. Charging means for charging the surface of the latent carrier;
Latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier;
In an image forming apparatus having developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image,
An image forming apparatus using the developing device according to claim 1, 2 or 3 as the developing means. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5.
The image forming apparatus, wherein the developing unit lid member is a positioning member that fixes the developing device at a developing device accommodation position. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5.
The image forming apparatus, wherein the developing unit lid member is an exterior cover.

Images